Third drone found near Leipzig/Halle airport after suspected attack attempt

Investigators looking into a suspected attack attempt at Leipzig/Halle airport have found a third drone, German media reports say. The device turned up on 14 August in a field in Kabelsketal, next to the airport's western perimeter. Near the site, authorities also found roughly 50 grams of a substance suspected to be the military explosive RDX, commonly known as hexogen.

The find follows an earlier incident in early August, when a drone carrying explosives was discovered on the airport grounds near an Antonov Airlines An-124 aircraft. A second drone is believed to have collided with a DHL cargo aircraft, though this has not been confirmed with certainty.

Security sources cited in the reporting have pointed to possible involvement by Russian intelligence services. That claim has not been independently verified, and Russia has denied any involvement.

No further details have been released about who might be responsible or where the investigation currently stands. Authorities have not said whether the three drone incidents are connected. Their closeness in time and location, though, has raised that possibility among investigators.

Leipzig/Halle airport is a major cargo hub in Germany. The presence of explosive material near active flight operations has heightened concern about security at the site. So far, no injuries or damage to aircraft have been reported in connection with the drone sightings.